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A federal judge has ordered former New York City Rudy Giuliani to surrender his Manhattan penthouse apartment and other valuable possessions to Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, the two Georgia election workers he defamed after the 2020 presidential election. The ruling comes as a result of a defamation case in which Giuliani now owes the women $150 million.
Judge Lewis Liman of the federal court in Manhattan has given Giuliani seven days to transfer his interest in the property to Freeman and Moss, who will control a receivership.
The other assets to be turned over include several luxury watches, a signed Joe DiMaggio jersey, other sports memorabilia, and a 1980 Mercedes once owned by Hollywood star Lauren Bacall. The judge also ordered Giuliani to turn over his television, furniture, and jewelry. The fate of Giuliani's Palm Beach, Florida, condominium and four New York Yankees World Series rings, which Giuliani's son claims were given to him by his father, has not yet been decided by the judge.
Last December, a federal jury ordered Giuliani to pay nearly $150 million for his lies about Freeman and Moss after they won a defamation lawsuit against him. The pair told the court that they suffered emotional and reputational harm, as well as having their safety put in danger after Giuliani made false claims of ballot-tampering in Georgia, where they worked as election workers during the 2020 election.
The defamation case against Giuliani is seen as a significant consequence for the lawyers who assisted in Trump's election subversion schemes. Giuliani lost his law license due to his perpetuation of false election claims.